The Marriage: An absolutely jaw-dropping psychological thriller

As is usual for this excellent author , an very good book

Tom and Jesse, Jill and Bridget, all the best of friends, the boys from playgroup, to adults the Mums as close as sisters. How could it all possibly go so very wrong?KL Slater has twists and turns on every page, leaving little clues to help the reader unravel the mystery, only sometimes, it’s a little red herring and another twists erupts. I love Kim’s writing style and you always manage to get into the heads of the stars of her stories.

Does everything a psychological thriller should do, the pace is set right and revelations happen at opportune moments without feeling contrived... Characters are given depth and relatability - all with their good points and flaws exposed... The different perspectives help to keep the story flowing but they also made it quite frustrating when you wanted to see the same context from the viewpoint of another character... Overall though it was a thriller-lover's dream... I didn't give it 5 stars because my personal preference was to not have the constant flashbacks - I understand why they were there and they added something to the story; I could just have done without them

What an amazing read, could not put this down,was gripped from start to finish.getting ready for the next.thank you kl slater wonderful.

I love this author’s work and when this happens, I don’t read reviews until after I’ve read the novel! However, I agree with some reviewers, that this is not really a psychological thriller in the true sense of the word. Having said that, it was a good read from the start, with a twist at the end.Bridget & Jill were friends when their respective sons (Jesse & Tom) were small. The boys grew up and spent a lot of time in their respective parents’ homes.One night after a heated argument between Jesse & Tom, it ends with Jesse dying and Tom going to prison for ten years for the murder. Just after the prison sentence Coral, Jesse’s girlfriend, has a child, Ellis who Bridget loves and supports Coral as she is the mother of her grandson.During Tom’s prison term Jesse’s mum, Bridget spends time with Tom. They fall in love and marry within the prison. Tom is released and Jill is looking forward to having him home with her and her husband Robert. Things don’t go according to plan and Jill is unhappy with the marriage of her son to her former best friend.Tempers fly and there follows schemes to try and scupper the relationship between Tom and Bridget.The novel is split into chapters written through the eyes of a number of characters, which keeps it interesting. There are twists and turns within the novel and without giving too much away, it wasn’t what was perhaps expected.Not Kim’s best work but nonetheless I did enjoy it.

K L Slater weaves another wonderful web of characters, leaving me unsure who is good or bad. Like most of her novels, the secrets drip through gradually, casting suspicion on just about everybody! This clever story probes into 'restorative justice' system where people in prison talk to their victims to realise the effect of their crimes. In this case, a man who accidentally killed his best friend with a single punch, is confronted by the victim's mother. How strange they fall in love. Stranger still that Bridget and Jesse's killer, Tom, get married. First, I felt for Jill, Tom's mum. Tom comes across as a genuinely nice guy who never meant Jesse to die and is filled with remorse. But all Jill wants is for her son to come home and to help him rebuild his life. Bridget I was not so sure about. By marrying Jill's son, was she exacting some form of twisted revenge? Did she marry Tom to take away Jill's son, as if to compensate for losing Jesse? She is 20 years older yet seems surprised when others condemn the marriage, including her Grandson, Ellis. Foisting the man who is responsible for the death of his own father into the home seems cruel! And for this reason, I didn't like her. Given the tragedy of the situation, she appears to lack empathy, selfishly doing what she wants and not caring about the effect it has on others.... unless there is another motive.Then came the twists. Did Tom really kill Jesse by accident? What secrets hide between him and Ellis's mother, Coral? And what is the betrayal, Jill's friend, Audrey, keeps mulling over?I found this an intriguing read - the psychology and dynamics nail-biting - and I could not wait to uncover the truth behind this most unusual of liaisons.

Absolutely loved this book. It was one of those books that made me want to find out what was going to happen next. Brilliantly written and didn't guess how it would end. Full marks

Although this was a very unlikely story I did enjoy reading it. Plenty of twists and surprises can be found and the book is well written.